Darkness
by Popples
Summary: Post-apocolyptic; the good wizards have been forced to live in caves in order to survive. Sirius takes a special child under his wing.
1. The Caves

Darkness 

Darkness.  
That was all there was.  
Since hiding was the only way to survive, there would be no sunlight.  
No hope.  
No joy.  
There had been a time when ideas of great thinkers had been very important and listened to. Now, only the ones with better hiding places were listened to. I asked my mother many times how this had happened. She never answered. Only looked at me with eyes filled with eternal sadness until I broke the gaze.  
Somewhere in my earliest memories I could see a white building edged in light blue with glass sections. It seemed safe and comfortable, somehow. There was also once a man who I have imagined to be my father. Tall, and strong, but I could never remember a face, only a deep rumbling laugh echoed by my mother's laugh of tinkling bells. She never laughs now. No one does. Even to make a sound above a whisper is dangerous.  
In one of the deepest of the caves lived an old man who seemed to know everything. He was the only one who would tell me and the other children of the time before hiding. He called the time of hiding 'the second age of terror.' Our parents did not want us to know, but they still did not stop us from talking to him. The old man answered to many names, but we were told to call him, 'Grandpa Black.'  
  


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Thanks for reading this! This is my first attempt at fan fiction writing!! Hope you like it! 


	2. The Story

One day, when Grandpa Black was feeling particularly awake and talkative, he told us a longer story than usual. From start to finish his voice sounded sad and was filled with regret. To the best of my memory, this is the story that he told:  
  
Once upon a time, most people lived without fear. It was a time of great thoughts and ideas. People were learning about everything around them and making tools to improve their lives. There were two types of people, wizards and muggles. The only difference was the ability to perform magic. The wizards wanted to protect their magic from persecution, and the muggles were afraid of the unknown power. So, the two types of people lived on the same planet, but in two different worlds.  
One day, a bad man started building up an army and attacking the good people to gain power. He was a wizard, unfortunately. He would kill many people even if they were children or elderly. That was the first age of terror. It went on for many years until the bad wizard tried to kill a very good family. He killed the mother and father, but when he tried to kill their infant son, a miracle happened. The spell did not work on the baby, but destroyed the wizard.  
Happy times came to the entire world. There was no need to fear any more. Everything was at peace. For almost twenty years, children were allowed to play outside; couples got married; great thinkers were listened to; even better tools were built. Safety was not a major concern.  
Unfortunately, there is a saying, "All good things must come to an end." The infant son that killed the bad wizard grew into a young man of excellent potential, but the bad wizard had not been completely killed. It took about fifteen years before he was able to be healthy enough to rebuild his army. This was the dawn of our second age of terror.  
The good wizards and muggles had a grand army to fight the bad wizard's army. The first battle filled the good side with pride as they won with very little loss of their own troops. The bad wizard, though, had released poison at the battle. His troops had been immunized, but not the good troops. The bad side was slowly winning the battles that followed. The poison was not noticeable until a month after the battle, when the people would feel very sleepy often and then fall asleep without waking up. However, the evil wizard wanted to kill more people faster. He and his most powerful followers would gather unsuspecting muggles in large masses and wipe them out in one swift stroke. It did not take long before there were no muggles left. Their tools were no match for magic.  
In the greatest battle of the war, all of the most powerful good wizards gathered on the grounds of a school. There were no children there, but it was a good place to defend. They had figured out the poison and been immunized and were ready to destroy a good portion of the army. They were lead by a great leader, although he was rather young. His name was Harry Potter. He was my godson. I was never more proud of him. Very early in the fight, though, he was taken capture. After he had been taken, the good wizards lost focus for a short time. During their confusion, the evil wizard struck hard and destroyed the entire castle that had been the school and all who were inside it. I was at that battle, but I was leading a band into the woods to rout out some wizards hiding there. We heard a tremendous bang. When we turned around, there were dead people everywhere and the castle had become a huge crater.  
After that battle, the good wizards were put into enslavement, killed, or hid. You children are very lucky to be alive. I know that not all of you have parents, but always remember that the effort it took to keep you alive was great. Until a miracle happens, it is important to keep the hope alive. In the deepest caves around here, it is ok to laugh and play. You are precious. Now, be good and run along.  
  


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Thanks for reading! Hope you like it!


	3. Lila

No one had designated Sirius as historian, but he knew that if the children did not understand what was going on, then they would be more lost and confused. He was about to leave his seat in search of lunch when he spotted a strange child. She was almost like a fairy, so fragile and pale. She couldn't have been more than ten with wispy blonde hair and large blue eyes. The child had been listening to the story, but was playing with a pendent around her neck.  
"Did your parents give you that necklace, little one?" Sirius asked gently.  
"Oh!" she quickly hid the necklace and turned red with embarrassment. "I liked your story. Can you tell me another?"  
"Sure. What is your name?"  
"Lila."  
"Come with me while I get lunch, Lila, and I will tell you another story." Sirius took her small hand in his callused old one.  
They walked through the maze of caves until Sirius found his room. Small, but comfortable would best describe it. He set the child in a chair near a small table while he took out a small lunch of bread, an apple, and cheese. With a knife he cut the apple in two and handed half to the girl.  
"Well, Lila, I'll make you a deal. I'll tell you a story, then you tell me about yourself. Ok?"  
The girl shifted in her seat for a bit, but finally agreed. Sirius watched the child carefully as he launched into the old Cinderella story. Her expressions from beginning to end were that of rapt interest and unending curiosity. Sirius could glean nothing from her along the lines of understanding or sympathy for the plight of Cinderella, only a desire to hear more. _Curious. It's almost like she has never known suffering or toil._  
Sirius was rewarded at the end of the tale with a sweet smile from the child. "Ok, a deal is a deal. I told you a story, now you tell me about yourself."  
The smile faded into a worried expression, but the Lila was honest and told Sirius what she knew about herself. "My earliest memories were very happy. There was a man and a woman who loved me and hugged me all the time. I think they were my parents. Mummy spoke this language, but Daddy spoke another. I could understand both, but I would mix them when I talked. I don't remember much of the other language now. I haven't used it since they went away. One day, I woke up and I wasn't at home any more. While I was sleeping I think they took me somewhere. I lived with a nice old lady that I called Gran. I don't know if she was my real gran, though. I wasn't allowed to go outside, so Gran taught me to read, write, cook, sew, and anything else I asked. Gran was always nice, but if I watched her when she thought I was in my room, she would be sad and crying. I don't know why. As soon as I would ask, she would smile and talk about something else. One day, Gran sat in my room with me and we packed my clothes and things in a bag. Gran didn't have a bag, just me. After lunch, a strange man came. Gran said that he was going to take me to someplace safe. He seemed nice, but he was a really big guy. The biggest I have ever seen. After I gave Gran a hug and a kiss, he picked me up, and carried me here. I don't even know where we are because I fell asleep. When I woke up, the big man was gone. I think I came here just a few days ago. It's hard to count days when it is always dark. Do you count the days, Grandpa Black?"  
"Yes, sweetling. I count the days. Since we can't use our magic, I count the days with a muggle tool called a clock and a calendar. I would teach you how to magically count days, but the bad wizards who are always trying to find us can pick up any spells. So, I will give you some paper, and draw you a calendar. Whenever you wish, you can ask me what day it is. Then, you can put a line through the day when it has passed. Now, after I draw this you need to run along a play so that I can rest. Take care, little Lila."  
  


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I'll add more chapters soon! Promise!


	4. Who is Zoltan?

After the child left, Sirius tried carefully to place who she could be. There were few families that could afford the luxury of a Fidelius Charm since good Secret Keepers were scarce. That must have been how she escaped the horrors of the mass executions and warfare that had been going on. _But the question still remains of who she really is. Maybe her necklace will help. In the meantime, that bed looks rather cozy..._

"No one can hurt me, can they?"  
_Nem, édesem. I will always keep you safe._  
Zoltan had always been with her. Even before living with Gran, Lila knew that she had him. He was warm against her skin and made her feel secure. She never showed him to anyone or took him off. Zoltan always told her who was nice, who not to talk to, and when to run away. He talked more to her at Gran's, but mainly to comfort. Lila never felt the loss of parents since she had him. He always took care of her. She did not need anyone else. _ Mindig biztos_.  
  
Awaking refreshed from his nap, Sirius was still wondering about the child. He knew the questions about her would torment him until he gleaned the truth, so he put them aside for the moment. After filling his flask full of water, he slowly walked to the room where his favorite storytelling chair was. At the unspoken signal of sitting down, children emerged from all directions and gathered around. Even the nearby adults stopped their conversations to listen.   
Feeling energetic, Sirius wove the tale of Rumplestiltskin as carefully as one would a volatile potion. He loved watching the children's faces as he lamented on the poor girl's situation, and then launched into the horridness of the dwarf's features. The story almost became a spell, taking the children to a kingdom far away. It was a pity to break the enchantment with the fateful words of "happily ever after." There was a brief silence at the end of the story followed by a flood of questions about the girl's father and what would have happened if the dwarf had taken the child. In the midst of his miniature admirers, Lila seemed untouched. She just was sitting patiently for the next story with her necklace hidden from view between her delicate hands. After most of the questions died down, Sirius took a long drink of water from his flask, deciding which story to tell next. He loved Brothers Grimm, but the original versions of the stories could be a little too gruesome for these children. So, he opted to tell about his own story.  
"Once upon a time, a good king and queen lived in a happy kingdom. They had a baby boy, and loved him very much. They entrusted his godfather to watch out for the child when they were busy. Unfortunately an evil sorcerer was jealous of their happiness. He wanted to be king and rule. The evil sorcerer knew that he would have to kill the good family in order to be king. So, he found a way to slip past the guards and get into the royal bedchambers. He killed the king and queen while they were sleeping. Then he searched for the baby prince. When he saw the child, he tried with all of his might to kill him as well, but the boy's godfather had been standing watch and stopped the evil sorcerer. The godfather drove the sorcerer from the land, forever banished. In the castle, the boy grew to be a good king and married a good woman to be queen. And they were happy together to the end of their days."  
_Not too far from the truth. Ok, so I like to be the hero better than being the duped fool_. As hard as he tried, Sirius found it hard to lie to himself. Upon reflection he realized that the story had been worse than even Rapunzel when she gets knocked up and forced to wonder around alone. His stomach told him of the hour without bothering to look at his watch. "Well, children, I think I see the adults waiting for me to finish talking so that you can have dinner. I'll tell you more stories tomorrow, I promise."  
With that reassurance, the children happily fled. Again, Lila lagged behind. Sirius spied the woman who was keeping track of Lila and told her with a nod that he would watch the child for the evening. Lila gave him a shy smile when he held out his hand. "Did you like my stories, little one?"  
"Oh, yes sir. Very much. Why didn't you say 'happily ever after' at the end of the last story. You always said it before. Did they not live happily?" Her little face was serious as her big eyes begged for the truth.  
"Well, Lila, that is a difficult question. But, I have to say that no, they did not. Before the second age of terror, they were the happiest couple in the world. Now, I know this because I am the godfather in the story. I always tried to protect my godson, but it did no good. I would think that my godson is dead, because he was captured. All I could do was help his wife bring their two children here, where it is safe. After leaving the children here, she went after her husband. I have not heard from either of them in many years. I keep an eye on the little boy and girl who are now a few years older than you. Sadly, they hardly remember their parents."  
"But, Grandpa Black, they'll get rescued from the prison, right? And then they will find their kids and live happily ever after, right?"  
"I don't know, Lila. This is real life, not a story. I hope beyond hope that they will live happily ever after, but until then I sit and tell stories. Now, would you like to tell me a story while I fix dinner? I think I can find the makings for a good stew around here somewhere."  
Lila nodded. She was still a little worried about the good king and queen, but she loved good food.  


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_ Dictionary:  
édesem = my sweet  
nem = no  
mindig = always  
biztos = safe_

Big ice cream sundaes to Gengi (w/ extra sprinkles), Vortigan (fat free coffee), and Writegirl (all the toppings you can handle). Hope you enjoy the new chapter!


	5. The Necklace

"What story should I tell you, Grandpa Black?" Lila asked as she settled into the chair at the table.  
"Well, I noticed that you keep a necklace on all the time, but you don't like anyone talking about it or knowing about it, right? I was just wondering if you liked me enough to tell me about it. If you are not ready yet, that's ok." Sirius's back was to the child as he worked on his makeshift stove.  
Lila held the necklace in her hands and was silent for a few minutes. Suddenly as if breaking from a trance, she looked up and said, "Do you promise not to tell or try to take it from me?"  
Sirius turned around and looked at her solemnly. "Lila, I promise you that I will keep your secret, and that I would never try to harm you or take anything precious from you."  
Lila cocked her head and studied him for a minute. "Ok!"  
She opened her hands, and held up her necklace for Sirius to see. It was a little gargoyle figurine holding a round emerald to its stomach. When looking closer, Sirius thought he saw the eyes of the gargoyle blink and the stone glow. _Probably these old eyes, but that is definitely a powerful necklace._  
"This is Zoltan. He keeps me safe and talks to me in Daddy's language. I think he is learning English too, or he's always known it. I don't know. He says that you are a person to be trusted. You have a good heart, even if it is troubled. Zoly is always right. I never take him off. He even keeps me warm if I don't have enough blankets. Do you wanna touch him? I think it would be ok."  
Lila set Zoltan in Sirius's outstretched hand. Sirius was so shocked at how warm it was, he almost dropped it. The gargoyle was made of something very hard, but not metal. The emerald "Zoly" was holding, seemingly the center of his power, was so clean and pure that it would have sold for enough to see Lila into her old age. As he was poking it, he thought he heard a deep laugh.  
"I think he's ticklish there." The little girl was giggling too.  
Sirius smiled and returned the figure. "You are well loved by someone, Lila. I have heard about these guys. I cannot think of a better gift for one's child in these times. You have been doing very well to listen to him." Sirius tousled the child's hair lovingly before returning to the stove to serve up dinner.  
  


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I know this is a short one, but at least it's out pretty fast! :) Hazelnut Frappachino for Writegirl!


	6. Not Knowing

Life in the caves was happy for Lila. The woman who had been watching her gladly allowed Sirius to take charge. Lila's things were moved to the room adjacent to Sirus's where his godson's children already slept. Since James and Hermia were thirteen and twelve respectively, they left Lila alone to her own devices.  
Lila enjoyed having meals with Grandpa Black instead of with all of the other children. The two of them would talk about anything and everything, except for the current war. Sirius started taking over Lila's education as well, teaching her all of the 'muggle' skills he knew. The other elementary aged children were learning from one over-worked teacher and recieved little individual attention.  
Only rarely did news from above come through the halls of the caves. The food and supplies were provided by brave house elves that had improved their skulking skills. Although they avoided any wizard contact outside the caves, the elves dared steal from enemy stores and warehouses as well as abandoned homes. Only local news could be picked up on the runs. Thankfully there were currently no patrols in a fifty mile radius of the caves.  
Few knew the location of the mass refuge facility. A complicated version of the Fidelius charm had been placed on the enterance. It was combined with a sort of cloaking charm so that unless you knew what you were looking for, there was only shear rock. Also, no one who possessed a dark mark could enter the caves. They would be burnt to a crisp if they tried. Passwords had been abandoned long ago. One truth potion lead to the discovery and death of close to three hundred people, including women and children.  
The very young were always taken before killings. The enemy would secure them and then take care of the rest. Those children and infants were taken to a stronghold and reeducated. Any memory of families or friends was wiped clean. In its place sat the best learning of the dark arts a child could learn. If there were any who resisted the teaching, or found it difficult to perform, they were instantly executed. The graduates of the schools were all hard hearted, cold blooded killing machines. Valdemort is prodigiously proud of them.  
It was one of the graduates that was able to catch Harry completely unawares and capture him. The captor had been a best friend to Harry in their school days. Only by those dirty moves did the enemy gain the upper hand. To have their greatest general captured by his good friend and brother-in-law, Ronald Weasly, destroyed all hope and trust. The red head had been presumed missing for almost three years. There were scars on most of his exposed skin that spoke of the horrors that he had undergone. No one knew the scars on his mind or the spells he had been under. Maybe no one ever would.  
The children did not know about the situation with their uncle and father, only that both were gone and their mother was searching for them. They adapted well to life in the caves, but at night, they clung to eachother in dispair at loosing their parents. Few had hope. Too many tears had been shed. Any happy thought was precious and held onto tightly long into the dark.  
  


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Thanks for reading! No shout-outs this time. :( Hope you enjoy!  



	7. History Ginny

A thin vail was coming over her face as her mother fussed with the hem of the dress. Everything would be perfect for her only daughter's wedding. Ginny was beeming from ear to ear. Even if she had been wearing all black, she would have been glowing. In the midst of strife, her and Harry's closest friends had been able to steal time away and arrange for the wedding. A lot had happened to them all since graduation at Hogwarts. Times had been less than perfect, but as long as she and Harry were together, they would be happy.   
  
  
  
They were barely allowed a week of a honeymoon before the Ministry called Harry back to the battlefield. He would be called away on reconisance for almost whole months. Ginny always waited patiently on the homefront. Watching and waiting.   
  
  
  
About eight months after the wedding, Harry was away. He had been gone for two and a half months. The day he returned, he found an empty house. Ginny was in labor at the hospital. Fortunately, Ron was with him and thought to check at his parents' house, where they found the note about where to meet. Harry arrived just in time to help Ginny through the last few pushes and welcome to the world their child.   
  
  
  
The second one came similarly to the first. Concieved in the moments of bliss together, carried in the months apart, and arrived at Harry's return. It was hard for the small family, but Ginny knew that as soon as the war was over they would have a perfect life. She kept telling herself that day in and day out to keep her going.   
  
  
  
when Ginny was visiting friends and family to tell them about the coming of the second child, they noticed that Ron had disappeared. He had been on leave from the group to recover from his leg injury. Hermione had not heard him leave. He would always just get up and run errands without waking her on a normal day. Ginny found Hermione on the second day of Ron's absence. She was a mess, sitting at the kitchen table with a stack of books next to her. The red eyes and discarded coffee packages betrayed her distress. Their boy, only two, was unusually sad and dispondent. Ginny was amazed that even little Jeffery could tell that something was wrong. Hermione had not wanted to worry anyone at the Ministry. Actually, she had tried to get ahold of Snape, but his detachment of reconisance had already been dispached on a mission for a week. Later, she contacted the Ministry after Ginny begged her to. No one knew where Ron was. All assumed that he would be in his loving wife's arms, or playing with his precious son. Arthur and the boys took all the spare time that they could to search for clues. However, Ron had become so secretive, that no one knew where to start looking.   
  
  
  
Hermione never lost hope. She was glad when Ginny and Harry moved into the flat next to hers. Ginny and she would watch the children together and try to make a symbalance of order in their lives. Every night, Ginny knew that Hermione would stay awake softly crying. She and Ron had matching wedding bands that had inset a small stone. Its color would tell of the other's condition. Hermione would pray every minute of every day that it would not turn black.   
  
  
  
Ginny knew in her heart that her sister-in-law would be actively searching for Ron if Jeffery had not existed. No matter how many times Ginny offered, Hermione would not leave Jeffery with them for more than a sleep-over. Motherhood had become Hermione's prime concern as a way to be productive without focusing on the war.   
  
  
  
According to Jeffery, Hermione would sometimes say odd things or scream in the middle of her sleep. It was if the ring would bring Ron and she closer together through dreams. Hermione developed a haunted look about her. A smile was rare and a laugh impossible. When it got to be too much for Ginny to bear, she sat Hermione down and forced her to talk. What she was told did nothing for Ginny's dreams.   
  
  
  
In striking detail, Hermione told Ginny of the tortures that Ron was enduring. They were trying to get him to reveil all of the secrets of his team; names, places, and the like. To get him to snap, they were conjuring false images of Hermione and Jeffery in front of crowd of Dementors. Little wonder that Hermione was looking like a skeleton.   
  
  
  
What was to be done?   
  
  
  
Ginny now knew that nothing was to be done for her dear brother. He fought against that curse so hard that it killed him. In the end, Ron did not capture Harry for Valdemort. The distraction of Harry breaking down over his best friend brought about his capture. Ginny had never seen Harry so distraught. She ran through the fire, trying to reach his side. Harry heard her call out his name, because he looked up at her just before he was frozen with a curse and apparated to VOldemort's headquarters. Ginny couldn't remember much of the rest of that day as she was flung over someone's shoulder and carried from the field. She learned later that it had been Sirius. He had been too far away to help Harry. He knew the least he could do was protect Ginny.   
  
  
  
Had that all really happened a month ago? Slowly, Ginny awoke from her dream of that black day. Knowing that it had probably worn off, she took a quick swig of pollyjuice potion and checked the dark mark on her arm. Vaugely disgusted and reassured at the same time, she donned her robes and prepared herself for another day of searching for her husband.   
  
  
  
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Sorry about the long break! I was so heartbroken after reading the latest book! It took me a bit to re-think how to 'fix' Sirius's fate. I'll show you in the next chapter.   
  
  
  
Thank you to all my loyal readers!!!! 


	8. In the Belly of a Serpent

Ginny felt dirty every minute that she wore the death eater's skin. The only thing that kept her going was the thought of seeing her husband again. Voldemort was not a complete idot, unfortunately. The stronghold had more hidden rooms and passages than Hogwarts. Ginny, though, had one advantage few others could boast: the tutalage of Fred and George Weasley. Harry's dad and his friends may have made the Marauder's Map at Hogwarts, but Fred and George perfected the system after years of trial and error. Dumbledore had placed the twins in charge of the more shifty jobs. They were the best at supplying spies with various useful items from dust that would put a person in a happy, near catatonic state for three hours, to masks that would disguise a person's hair and face instantly.  
  
Ginny was equiped with a parchment that helped her tremendously. Only she could read it, thanks to a handy charm. It mapped out the area wherever a person was within five feet. If there was a hidden entrance, it would detect it. If you had been there before, it would know. Even equiped with this, it was still hard to get around. She had to find an excuse to always be at the stronghold and never on a mission. She managed to be useful in cooking, with her experience of feeding large numbers of people. That position made her useful and invisible. Voldemort would not bother with a servant as long as her food was good and she stayed in her place. It was getting harder and harder to maintain her control around him. She wanted to slip poison into his food, but it was always tested. She wanted to strangle him, but he was never alone. SO, she concentrated on looking for Harry.  
  
With a battle coming, everyone was busy and distracted. It was a perfect opportunity for Ginny to get near the one area she had been missing on her map, Voldemort's personal apartment. He was out personally surveying the quality of new recruits. This did not give her much time. He was known to have alarms all over his quarters. The twins taught her well. They divised a small figurine that looked like an anteater. It was really a charm detector. The creature's long nose was shoved under the door and extended to the room as Ginny watched the map nervously for anyone returning. After it's search, the anteater was scooped up onto the map. It walked over the previously blank area, letting the map know where the charms were.  
  
"Hmm... two on the door, one on the window, and one on another door", muttered Ginny. She bit her lip as she drew out her wand carefully. Concentrating harder than she ever had, Ginny used her wand to probe the door charms into revealing themselves.  
  
"Ah, identification charms... if I remember Flitwick's seventh year class... all I need to do is..." The door shuddered for a moment, and then was still. The charms were gone. Cautiously, Ginny opened the door to Voldemort's apartment.  
  
"Black satin sheets... interesting, but not surprising," mused Ginny as she surveyed the room looking for the hidden door. The room was a shrine to serpents. "Great... watch me need to speak parsel-tounge. At least I have a potion for that too..."  
  
Ginny was equiped not only with items that Fred and George deemed necessary, but she also had potions from her old potions master, Professor Snape. "I still can't believe that he made me make it myself just ot be certain that I still remembered how."  
  
On the north wall was a vanity so laden with golden serpents, one could hardly see the mirror. That was where there was the strongest charm in the room. Taking a deep breath, Ginny closed her eyes and focused all of her power on delicately probing the charm. A hissing sound filled her ears as the password was relayed through the wand. "Just as I thought... parsel-tounge."  
  
  
  
She took out a little black vial that Snape had humorously placed the Slytherin symbol on. Smirking at his rye sense of humor, she opened the bottle and shot the potion down. After a brief dizzy feeling, Ginny focused and tried the charm again. This time words seemed to come to her. "Marked as an equal."  
  
Puzzled at the phrase, Ginny repeated it in her newly aquired language. The vanity swung back revealing a dark staircase leading down in an endless spiral. With a firm picture of her life's love in her mind, Ginny walked in to meet her fate.  
  
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Hope you like it!!! Oh, did I promise to 'fix' Sirius? Oh well, next time!  
  
Ben & Jerry's Chunky Monkey Ice Cream for Writegirl for all of her reviews! 


	9. A Spark of Hope

With her senses hightened in the darkness, Ginny was careful even to breathe. She walked slowly, pressing against the walls of the spiral staircase in case someone was waiting downstairs. Her map was no help at this point since she was too far away from the actual room to know what was in there. At least she could be comforted that Voldemort was still occupied elsewhere.  
As Ginny turned the final corner after an endless amount of steps, she froze, horror stricken. _No wonder Ron had such scars..._  
Ginny had wandered into a large room filled with every torture device known to mankind and several that few had even dreamed of before. There were slow burning acids, hooks, chairs covered in spikes, iron maidens... everything. Somewhere in the room, Ginny heard a low whimpering. Immediately, she checked the map for names. _RON!_  
Seeing no other person on her map in the vicinity, Ginny rushed over to the cage that held her brother. His trademark Weasley hair was only visible now in patches. The majority of his skin was bruises, matted blood, and jagged red scars. Only the sad desperate hope in his eyes let Ginny know that it was indeed still her brother.  
"Don't worry, Ronny! I'll get you out!" she whispered as she scrambled for the lock.  
"No! Don't Ginny! He said that if I get free, he will kill Harry for sure!" Ron managed to gasp out.  
"Do you know where Harry is?"  
Ron shook his head. It was obvious that every movement was excruciating pain. "The last time I saw him... I was under a curse... It's my fault he's even here! If I hadn't-"  
"Shhh..." Ginny cut him off. "Now is not the time for if only's. I can get you out. Then, I'll be back for Harry. Mum would skin me alive if she knew that I had left anyone I cared about in a place like this!"  
Ginny's vain attempt at humor went unnoticed by Ron. Finally, finding the lock, Ginny opened it with a quick 'alohamora.' Grabbing Ron under the arms, she shrugged him up and out of the cage. A glance at her map showed that the spell had not gone unnoticed. Several dots were rapidly approaching them. Without hesitation, Ginny apparated her and her brother to the best location she could think of, Hogsmede. "At least there are still enough traps and tricks to hide at Hogwarts."  
Arriving in front of the Shrieking Shack, Ginny apparated again to the entrance of the tunnel back under the Whomping Willow. "At the very least, we might be able to hide out in the dungeons for a bit."  
Carefully placing her tormented brother on a conjured stretcher, Ginny said, "_Locamotor_ Ron" and started off towards her alma mater.  
  


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Thank you! I'm sorry I'm so slow between chapters. Sorry, WanderingWolf. I wanted to get the story a little more complicated before letting Ginny find Harry. Thanks for reading though!


	10. Surviving

It was strange for Ginny to return to Hogwarts. The school had been abandoned as a stronghold for the resistance long ago because of its obviousness. However, certain powers still lurked in the halls that would be perfect for just Ginny and Ron. After taking out the old Marauder's map (a present from her husband long ago), Ginny scoured the castle. A lump of lonliness filled her throat as she searched and only found the old ghosts still about. Taking a breath, she carefully pressed the knot on the Womping Willow and emerged with Ron.  
Still not competely comfortable with the emptiness of the castle, Ginny stashed Ron in the "Room of Necessity" before searching out herbs and food for her and Ron. There was no way for her to communicate with the others. To have anything at all would have been risky. The only way she got word back to base was through contacts far from Voldemort's stronghold. Even then, Ginny only sent back reports rarely so as to keep from being discovered. There was one in Hogsmede, but Ron's health came first.  
_Thank goodness I paid attention in Herbology and Potions,_ thought Ginny as she searched through the old greenhouses. Without Professor Sprout or Mr. Filch, the place was a mess. Ginny had to be extra careful what she was rummaging about in. There used to be a few pots of Devil's Snare growing in one of the houses.  
Ginny shivered as she remembered the fate of the man in St. Mungoo's that Harry had told her about. The Dark Lord did not like it when his victims started to recover.  
Luckily, Ginny found the medicinal herbs quickly. Professor Sprout and Madam Pompfrey had a good amount growing before they had to flee. There must still have been some spells active to allow the plants to be doing so well.  
In another part of the greenhouse, Ginny found tomatoes, cucumbers, and other fruits and vegetables. They had gone a bit wild, but enough grew to last for just her and Ron for a short while.  
Hurrying back to her brother with her treasures, Ginny ran into, or rather through, Sir Nicholas. Both were so shocked, that Ginny dropped everything.  
"Oh, Sir Nicholas! I'm so sorry! Don't let anyone else know I'm here! Ron and I need to hide here for a few days," Ginny sputtered while gathering her goods.  
"Miss Weasley? or should I say, Mrs. Potter. My, my it has been a long time. Of course, on my honor, I will conceal your presence. Though, I must say, you have certainly changed! If it wasn't for the red hair, I would never have recognized you," said Nearly-Headless Nick.  
"It's a long story," Ginny grinned weakly. It had been ages since she had reason to smile.  
She returned to Ron without further incident. He was still asleep, but on a comfortable cot that the room had provided. Before she had entered, Ginny made certain that she thought hard on the list of things that she needed. The room provided well. In addition to two comfortable beds, there were books on the shelf about healing and trauma treatment, as well as all of the instruments and tools needed to prepare the herbs. _I suspect that even Madam Pompfrey would like this room right now._  
Rolling up her sleaves, Ginny got to work. In about an hour she had a basic paultice for the gashes and cuts. Stripping down Ron to his underwear, she gently washed his skin. Her heart ached as she saw the result of Ron's time at Voldemort's stronghold. There were some places where scars criss-crossed to the point where it no longer looked like human skin. With the bruises added on top and the fresher gashes and cuts, Ron's body looked like a morbid abstract art had his skin been a canvas.  
Once he was washed down, Ginny saw Ron's face relax as he slept. Ginny's eyes started to water, thinking of Hermione. _What will she do when she sees all of this?_  
Carefully, Ginny applied the paultice and bandaged the worst areas. When she was satisfited for the moment, she pulled the thick covers up to Ron's chin and let him rest.  
Exhausted and starving, Ginny sat down to her feast of fruits and vegetables. When her stomach was satisfied, she curled up in the other bed, hoping that soon she would be able to return and find Harry.  
  


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_Where am I? I'm lying on something soft... This must be a dream... I don't feel drugged... I feel... better... Why is the pain less? He's never let it lessen before... only increase... where am I?_  
Slowly, Ron opened his eyes. This was dificult since Ginny had placed a bandage over one of them. There had been a gash that needed some attention. Ron could not believe his eyes. The room was... Hogwarts. No other place he had been to looked quite like it. Was he finally so insane that he imagined himself back at school?  
Carefully, since large movements still brought pain, Ron turned his head to look a bit around the room. The Polyjuice potion had worn of off Ginny. Seeing her sleeping in the bed next to him, dressed like a deatheater, brought instant tears to his eyes. So, she had not been a dream. His sister, his beloved baby sister had rescued him from hell itself.  
Having slept for a few hours, Ginny woke to see her brother smiling at her with tears streaming down his face. Filled with joy, Ginny got up and hugged Ron. His grunts reminded her why she had bandaged him hours ago, and she released him.  
"I have been searching for you for almost a year and a half now. After both you and Harry disappeared, I went in undercover. I can't believe that I found you! I'm so happy!" Ginny hugged Ron again, much gentler this time.  
"How... Hogwarts..." Talking was still hard for Ron.  
"I just apparated us away from that horrible place. I thought this would be the best place to go for now. The others are too far away. Rest now. I have to go to Hogsmede and have my contact send word back to base. Hermione will be so happy!"  
Ginny brought the plate of food and some water closer for Ron. She made him eat as much as she could before she left. The room provided her with a cloak to hide her clothes. Death-Eater attire was conspicous, but held a level of power these days. If she got stopped, she would just have to show her rank and then go on her way.  
With a quick swig of her Polyjuice potion, and a kiss on the cheek for Ron, Ginny stole out of Hogwarts and raced towards Hogsmede.  
  


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Thank you for reading this! A super ice cream sundae to my loving reader, whoever you are. Wow, two chapters in one month. Let's see if I can keep it up!


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